Markham. What does this name mean to you? Markham is a city in York Region. It sits approximately 30 km northeast of Downtown Toronto. In 2021, Markham held a population of 338503. This made it the largest in York Region. It also ranked fourth largest in the Greater Toronto Area. Markham was the 16th largest in Canada.
Markham gained its name from John Graves Simcoe. He was the first Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada. Simcoe named the area after his friend William Markham. William Markham was the Archbishop of York from 1776 to 1807.
Indigenous people lived in the area for thousands of years. They were here before Europeans arrived. The first European settlement in Markham occurred in 1794. William Berczy led approximately sixty-four German families to North America. Berczy was a German artist and developer. They planned to settle in New York. Disputes over finances and land led Berczy to negotiate with Simcoe. He acquired 64000 acres in what became Markham Township.
Since the 1970s, Markham transformed from agriculture to industry. This was due to urban sprawl from Toronto. Markham officially became a city on July 1 2012.
As of 2013, the tertiary industry mainly drives Markham. In 2010, business services employed nearly 22% of Markham’s labour force. The city has over 1000 technology and life-sciences companies. IBM is the city’s largest employer. Several multinational companies have their Canadian headquarters in Markham. These include Honda Canada and Hyundai. Others are Advanced Micro Devices and Johnson & Johnson. General Motors and Avaya also have headquarters here. So do IBM, Motorola and Oracle. Toshiba, Toyota Financial Services and Huawei are here too. Finally, Honeywell, General Electric and Scholastic Canada also call Markham home.
Markham’s history stretches back to the last Ice Age. The city sits on the traditional territory of several Indigenous peoples. These include the Haudenosaunee and the Huron Wendat. Also the Petun and Neutral people. In the early 1600s, French explorers encountered the Huron-Wendat First Nation.
The southwest corner of Markham falls under Treaty 13. This is known as the Toronto Purchase of 1787. It transferred roughly 250800 acres from the Mississauga people to the British Crown. The Crown paid 10 shillings. The Mississauga also retained fishing rights on the Etobicoke River. The rest of Markham’s land is covered by other purchases and treaties.
Objects found in the 1870s show a village within the Milne Conservation Area. The Milne family, local mill-owners, discovered them.
Between 1803 and 1812 another settlement attempt occurred. Pennsylvania Dutch settlers, mostly Mennonites, formed the largest group. They founded Reesorville. In 1825 Reesorville was renamed Markham.
By 1830, many Irish, Scottish and English families settled in Markham. Markham’s early years saw agriculture-based industries develop. Rivers and streams powered saws and gristmills. Transportation improved with Yonge Street’s construction in the 1800s. Urbanization increased with the growing population.
In 1842, the township population reached 5698. About 29005 acres were under cultivation. The township had eleven gristmills and twenty-four sawmills. By 1857 most timber was cleared for cultivation. Villages like Thornhill and Unionville greatly expanded.
In 1871, the Toronto and Nipissing Railway built a line to Markham Village and Unionville. GO Transit commuter services still use it today. In 1971 Markham was incorporated as a town. Its population skyrocketed due to urban sprawl from Toronto.
Since the 1980s Markham has been recognized as a Toronto suburb. In 2006, the city comprised six major communities. These are Berczy Village, Cornell, and Markham Village. Also Milliken, Thornhill, and Unionville. Many high-tech companies have head offices in Markham. They are attracted by land, low tax rates, and good transportation. Markham has branded itself as Canada’s High-Tech Capital.
Markham Town Council voted on May 29, 2012 to become a city. The designation officially took effect on July 1.